Ford duo say Sandown reign is set to continue

Conficence is high that Lowndes and Whincup can take out another win.

Historically, foul weather has plagued the Sandown 500 Supercar enduro - but wet or dry, Ford is confident of out-gunning Holden to clinch a hat-trick of wins at the classic this weekend.

The outright favourite in the Ford camp is defending champion Craig Lowndes, who will be partnered by Team Betta Electrical Falcon teammate Jamie Whincup.

The Victorian has been the car maker's standout in this year's V8 championship, winning three rounds, in Winton, Darwin and Oran Park, while Whincup took victory at the opening round on the streets of Adelaide.

Lowndes and Whincup are fresh from a comprehensive trial at the Queensland Raceway, where they refined various elements of their endurance-race campaign. Ford put all four of its drivers through a detailed test session, trying to shave seconds from driver-change and pit-stop procedures ahead of the gruelling 161-lap event.

Lowndes and Whincup discovered they had compatible driving styles, meaning they could use a very similar racecar set-up, leaving little need to compromise.

Lowndes said there was no reason to believe he could not back up last year's Sandown win with another victory on Sunday.

"The team has dedicated a huge amount of time to ensuring the car is performing well for Sandown, and it simply is the best V8 Supercar I've driven," Lowndes said.

"I could not have asked for a better co-driver in Jamie. As well as being a quick and level-headed driver, he also runs a very similar set-up aboard his regular car, which means we can both focus on racing rather than adapting to each other's changes.

"Melbourne's changeable weather always seems to play a part in the Betta Electrical 500 and I'm confident we'll be able to set a cracking pace whether it is dry or wet."

Lowndes inherited the series lead following his Oran Park victory earlier in the month and hopes to increase his 37-point buffer with another strong showing at Sandown.

Last year, Whincup was a stand-out performer at Sandown and Bathurst, with a third and second placing respectively, and he is currently seventh in the Supercar championship.

"We know the team has what it takes to win at Sandown but every round presents a new challenge and new circumstances. We're very well prepared and I'm very focused on setting fast, consistent laps for the entire race distance," Whincup said. "I've taken on a different role for the race. I won't be going out there to break lap records; rather I'll be looking to bring home a perfect car at the end of each stint."

Ford is also looking to its CAT Performance Racing team to help keep the Commodores at bay. The CAT duo of Jason Bright and Mark Winterbottom has raced strongly this year, with Bright notching three pole positions and Winterbottom second overall in the New Zealand round.

"The Sandown 500 can be a tricky race and it rewards the teams who are prepared for anything to happen," Bright said. "After all of the situations that we have managed to recover from to get strong results this season, I know that FPR heads to this race being more than capable of winning it."

AAP

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